Krimruk

Frustrated with Krimruk's swings between defiance and nonsense, Hrundis yanks the chair out from under her brother's murderer (although, keeping her wits about her, she sets it nicely on the other side of the room rather than breaking it over his fool head).

The Dwarves grimly march their traitorous prisoner into the tower, in order to interrogate him in their own tongue away from the pointy ears of the Elves of Lósengriol. But although he is clever enough to deduce that Hrundis is related to the slain Vigfús in some fashion, this proves to be a rare moment of lucidity for him; he keeps lapsing into strange babble -- notably talking of a "huge ingot" and stating repeatedly that "In gold we are all one." His motive for slaying Vigfús also makes no sense, as Hrundis points out.

Flanked by Harnack -- most recently of Hrimbarg -- on her left, and Ulvoin of Vindurhal on her right, Hrundis, sister of the slain Vigfús, enters the Lósengriol halls and meets Branalph, Glorfingwë, Melumatyar -- and her brother's murderer, Krimruk Dourhand.  Harnack, who cared deeply about his slain friend, has a simple question: if Krimruk is kept more or less intact for the journey back to Erebor to stand trial, is it acceptable to cause some "cosmetic damage"?

Krimruk never suspected that the very fine Roper's Twist he was offered by the "merchants" was adulterated with a few other things. The strength to babble nonsense quickly leaves him, and he willingly walks out with his captors, only to pass out in the snow. As Arradril binds the captive, Branalph slips back into the fortress to retrieve the adulterated pipeweed, lest their deception be discovered, and finds the heirloom axe.